


Bloodline

by vivial



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Canon Respectful, Gen, Legends Respectful, Pre-The Old Republic MMO, Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-21 00:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15545154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivial/pseuds/vivial
Summary: Thea Theirin lives a life of adventure as a smuggler, but her past as a former Jedi Padawan seems to never let her go. Meeting Kaesa Da'klar, a Padawan who seeks her help to be smuggled to Ziost, in order to perform a personal quest, Thea discovers it may be much harder to escape the Force than she first imagined.





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! This is a short story, that I wrote for fun, based off my OCs on Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. I read a lot of canon/legends stuff and made I poor timeline to write short stories of my characters, before the game settings, during and after the main storyline. If there's interest, I intend to write more about my other characters, I have at least five small stories related between them.
> 
> I tried to respect canon as much as possible, but there's always a chance I forgot/messed up something. I also changed some things to set up the "universe" in which I'm writing; these are just basic gender things or relationships to fit better the story. Nothing major or horrifying, fear not.

The blaster shot almost hit the woman’s shoulder, at least, it looked like it did. But she knew her aim was right, and instead, she hit the bounty hunter that was shooting at them; Thea only yawned when the targeted woman marched down on her, looking angry as ever. She was too young to be that angry.

“Are you crazy?” She snorted, pointing at Thea’s face.

Thea offered her a bored gaze, while checking her pistols.

“If I saw things correctly, our _enemy_ lies dead!’

“You could’ve hit me _and_ you _killed_ our only lead!” The woman shouted, but even her anger was somehow, _calm_.

She was a Jedi, of course. If the robes in somber tones didn’t say enough, her glowing lightsaber should warn every Imperial living citizen that a Jedi was in Ziost, but they were either really dumb or really blind and both qualities were more than helpful in Thea’s opinion. Why she’d agree to carry on that insane crusade, she still didn’t know, but the Padawan was desperate and Thea was getting bored at Coruscant when the young Jedi sought her help.

“ _Sorry.”_ She said, quietly, and the Padawan sat down, taking deep breaths and started to meditate. “Oh, come on! Not _now!”_ Thea added, urgently looking over her shoulder.

They were in an abandoned warehouse or, as much as something like that could look like in the Empire. The bounty hunter corpse was laid down over some crates, a perfect shot in his head. Judging by his body build, Thea guessed he was Gamorrean, which explained why he engaged a Jedi: they weren’t really bright.

“I need to clear my mind, so we can find another way.” The Jedi said, eyes closed, so relaxed it was unbelievable, but Thea had seen pretty strange things in her life. It was the perks of smuggler’s work.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Thea exclaimed, approaching the Jedi and lowering her voice; she could almost believe she’d heard something; or maybe she was going insane. “We’re in the middle of Ziost, okay? There’s an Imperial squad every mile in every direction from here. I’m pretty sure you didn’t ask me to smuggle you here so you could die!”

“Without a lead, we’re wanderers and there is no point in walking aimlessly in an Imperial world, so let me gather my thoughts and just this once, try not kill someone. _Please._ ”

Thea sighed, straightening her body and leaning against a wall.

“I only kill Imperial scum.” She told the Jedi and the woman curiously smiled at her, without flinching at her meditating position.

“Even the Imperial scum have families they wish to see again, Thea.”

“I bet they wouldn’t be so lenient if they ever catch you”

“Why should they? After all, I am a Jedi and they are taught since childhood that I am the enemy.” The Jedi explained, peacefully. Thea shook her head in disapproval; Jedi were always so self-assured it bothered her deeply. “What I do and what I say does not require a mutual relationship. I am--”

“--a Jedi. Yeah, yeah, you already told me that, probably a hundred times since we landed and hundred more back in Coruscant.” Thea rolled her eyes, pretending to be bored when in fact she was tense. “Let it go.”

“You are unease around me.”

“Of course I am unease, it is common sense that Jedi attract all sorts of bad people.” She said, checking the warehouse’s entrance but nobody came in. “Sith can sense you, and I really don't want to fight Sith right now. Maybe ever!”

“So, you've never encountered Sith before?”

“If I can avoid them, you bet your ass I will avoid them. The freaks are slaughtering machines!”

“It's hard to believe they never sensed you.” Kaesa said, eyes closed, but Thea knew she was no longer meditating, just peacefully resting. Her focus was on speaking and Thea held her breath, for she did not know how to react to that.

Years living with lowlife in planets on the Outer Rim or even in Coruscant’s underworld taught her to lie well and quickly, to avoid trouble and to bargain even when she had zero credits and a lousy merchandise. She was resourceful, she had to be; however, dealing with a Jedi was different than dealing with thieves and cheaters; they were immune to most liars, and they could mind trick weak-willed people to do things or even tell secrets. Thea had a resilient mind, while Kaesa was much more powerful than most Jedi the smuggler knew, which was enough to force Thea not to engage her in such a way.

And the way Kaesa’s eyes were glowing was a sign that she _knew_ that too.

“What are you talking about?” Thea tried to pretend confusion, but the moment she said it she knew her sentence wasn't good enough.

“Your Jedi training should be a beacon to Sith, I wonder why they ignore you.” Kaesa mumbled, more to herself than to Thea, and finally she stood up. Setting her robes straight, she camouflaged well in her robes, but Ziost was an Imperial hell, and not many people would be wearing an outfit like that. They could spot her from miles away.

“I don't know what are you whispering about now! Just let us finish your suicidal mission and leave this forsaken rock!” Thea replied harshly, but Kaesa merely sighed.

“I understand your training is a touchy subject, so I apologise. And you're correct, we need to move on.”

“Not so fast, Jedi. Any Imperial citizen will recognise you as a Jedi, your damn cloak screams Republic lackey!” Thea warned hastily, and Kaesa stared at her a bit confused. She seemed like the embodiment of what Jedi meant; intelligence mixed to a calm, yet strong temper. And even so, she seemed naive, or just disconnected from this world that wasn't hers at all. She had never even announced being a Padawan, but Thea knew. It was easy to recognise one of them. “We need to get ourselves lost amidst the citizens. Let's go back to the ship. I might have something that could help us.”

 

* * *

 

 

Thea still felt unease after Kaesa’s suddenly brought speech about how the smuggler had Jedi training; that was a secret not many alive knew. She in fact had Jedi training, but it was a thing from the past and something she preferred to forget.

Now, piloting her ship to a place as distant from Ziost as she could, Thea started to think how lucky they were. Not only they pissed off the entire Imperial Armada, they also came empty-handed which was the worst part of it all. Kaesa, however, seemed distressed. Thea was a little angry the Jedi would not tell her the reason she had asked to be smuggled to Ziost, but she honestly did not feel entitled to know that.

Cursing in whispers, Thea set the ship on the hyperspace jump and turned on the autopilot. She then, got up and marched to Kaesa’s quarter on the ship’s starboard.

They had been jumping through hyperspace for the past eighteen hours mostly because some Sith assassins were after them and every system they reached, the Sith were right behind them. When the fifth attempt failed and they almost got caught, Thea employed her technique that involved jumping in and out of hyperspace. And it had worked, but she decided to keep doing so until they reached a friendly Republic system.

Right now she had other issues to attend to, such as being mad at the Jedi. And not just the one aboard her ship, but the Jedi Order as a whole. _They trained naïve fools_ , Thea thought bitterly.

“Why the hell did you go to Ziost?”

Kaesa was meditating on her bed, crossed legs, hands upon her own knees, eyes closed. But Thea knew she became aware of her presence the moment Thea left the bridge. The Jedi moved for a bit, and opened her eyes. Blue spheres stared back at Thea, serene and distant. It took the smuggler some time to realise she was dealing with a Padawan, although Kaesa looked older; she was probably twenty or something and probably very close to become a Knight, but she was still too young.

“Is this part of your trials?” Thea mumbled angrily. “Because, if it is, then the Order has gone truly mad!”

“No, of course not. How--”

“You’re a Padawan, aren’t you?”

“I… Yes, I am. How do you know?” Kaesa’s interest seemed genuine, if not irresponsible. Of all things, she would ask that question. But there was this wisdom stamped in her eyes, her glance felt powerful and intelligent.

“How do I know? Your stance, your inexperience, your insistence on meditating so you won’t freak out because things got out of hands! I tried to look past it, to give you a shot at your mission whatever that was, but apparently you’re just as inexperienced as I imagined you would be!” Thea shouted, sliding her fingers through her hair, trying to figure out how to fix that mess. “Here’s some advice for you, kid, meditating in the middle of a warzone will not solve your problems!”

“A Jedi thinks before acting!”

“Oh, I am aware of that. And it’s a stupid virtue, that I tried to explain to the master a long time ago! Patience is useless!”

“Oh, now you’re willing to talk about your history with the Jedi?” the Jedi’s voice was almost defiant.

Thea felt as if she was about to hyperventilate. She pointed a finger at Kaesa, looking angry and a lot like her own master in some ways, when she was a Padawan herself. The thought of it made her dizzy. She barely recalled her master ever being so angry.

“That history is none of your business, kid.” she said “You are a Padawan, not only you need to be with your master, going to an Imperial world could force the damn Treaty of Coruscant to be broken, not to mention you could have died! Hell, we still can if I can’t lose those Sith bastards. What the hell were you thinking, kid?”

“Don’t call me kid, you’re not much older than I am! Besides, I knew what I was doing there, I wasn’t going to jeopardise the peace! And you agreed to come with me, you can’t just give up on things like you are now!”

“I may not be that older than you, _kid_ , but I have street smarts and a lot of experience that you lack, because when you were in the temple training with vibrosabers and eating healthily, I was running through the galaxy’s worst places just to make a living!” Thea replied, furiously and Kaesa’s eyes now had that flicker of anger that no Jedi should have. The smuggler took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Her next sentence was much more friendly than before. “Tell me, Kaesa, why did you go to Ziost? Tell me and I will tell you who I am.”

The Jedi braced herself, and probably controlling her temper, started her long speech about how she had heard rumours that surrounded her life in the Jedi Temple. Apparently, she was too strong in the Force and all of her masters had trouble in training her because none knew how to deal with such raw power. But she seemed a good girl, calm and a follower of the Code as Thea had never seen before. Kaesa explained that she now had no master, because the previous one died recently while scouting some contested world in the Outer Rim and although she felt ready to do her trials, the Council decided to wait. Rumours spread that the Council did not want to make her a Knight because Kaesa was a rescued child of Sith lords.

“I talked to Master Satele and she was very honest, _too_ honest. Seventeen years ago the Jedi raided a Sith lord’s stronghold on a Republic planet, they managed to make the Sith run away and they took me in once they realised I was the offspring of Sith bloodline and the chances of being Force sensitive were high.” She explained, carefully and seemed to relax a bit when Thea sat down, staring at her. “They were right, and my training began at very early stage.”

“You were too strong in the Force, weren’t you?” Thea said, and Kaesa nodded, wide eyes with surprise. The smuggler sighed. “I can sense the Force around you, although I can’t quite understand it. But it’s clear to me you are a prodigy amongst your peers, aren’t you?”

“Indeed, and because of that my training was always delicate and intense. They needed me to fully commit to the way of the Jedi and I did.” She said. Thea noticed her uncomfortable tone and Kaesa, noticing it as well, quickly added. “I had doubts when I was younger, but when my master took me as his Padawan, they were gone. Even then I never questioned the good of the Jedi, but if I myself was good enough to serve them.”

“Why did you go to Ziost?” Thea asked a bit too harshly. Kaesa sighed.

“Master Satele told me that there was another baby within the Sith stronghold, but the Sith took them and left me behind.”

“How old were you?”

“About two years old.”

Thea didn't say a word, but they reached an agreement in silence. No way the Sith would have left their heir behind, specially if she was Force Sensitive and as strong as Kaesa seemed to be. There was a catch, Thea and Kaesa were aware of that.

“They were probably training you, and they expected you were already instructed in some rudimentary dark side teachings.” Thea whispered and Kaesa simply nodded.

“Hopefully they were wrong.”

Thea knew, however, that Kaesa’s voice was filled with all the doubts she had about that.

  


* * *

 

 

“Why did you leave the Order?” Kaesa asked, timidly, though Thea couldn't blame her for that. She had been rude and harsh at every attempt of the Jedi to learn more about her.

“How do you know I left? Maybe I was exiled.” Thea jested.

“Exiled Jedi aren't prone to jokes as you are. Besides, you seem to be uncomfortable around Jedi.”

_And I use my skills though I deny it strongly_ , she thought bitterly. Her headshot to the bounty hunter’s head was proof enough. There were few skilled people on the galaxy that could hit a target at that distance, and with Kaesa’s head on the way as it was, that number lowered to almost nothing. Thea knew she used the Force to focus although sometimes she did so unwillingly and unknowingly.

“The only reason you didn't kill me on the warehouse is because you aimed through the Force.” Kaesa added, cheerfully.

“Nonsense.” Thea said, although she reminded herself that lying now was pointless.

“How many people you know that could have accomplished that?”

_Two_ , Thea thought but she wasn't even certain of that. All she said, however, was “Plenty.”

“You're lying, to yourself worst of all.”

“Stop seeing my intents!”

Kaesa laughed and questioned Thea why she didn't ask her to “stop reading my mind” instead. The smuggler reminded her that Jedi couldn't quite read thoughts, but they could sense intents and Thea had enough training to stop Kaesa from doing it so, although she didn't feel like it. She reminded the Padawan of that, though, just to ensure she wouldn’t pry too much.

“Why did you leave, then?” Kaesa asked, more confidently this time.

Thea sighed.

“Why do you care?”

“I'm curious. You seem to be a committed person, the fact you left the Order is quite confusing.”

“There's no extraordinary story, I assure you. Nor I fought my way out of the temple.” Thea explained, throwing a coin in the air then catching it again and again and again. “I just strongly expressed my thoughts and we all disagreed. Then I took my few things and left. Midday. Zero deaths.”

“Were you a Padawan?”

“Yes, I was fifteen. I barely had time to build my own lightsaber, bummer!”

“What made you leave?” Kaesa's eyes had a glow of doubts and fears that Thea recognised way too well.

_I need to be very careful right now,_ Thea thought, measuring every syllable she was going to pronounce. “I didn't agree with the Jedi methods. To be honest, I just knew I wasn't cut out for being a Jedi. It required a lot of discipline and will I didn't have.”

“If you think you can convince me you're lazy, you're gonna have to try harder than that.”

“Look at me, kid, I am the embodiment of what a Jedi shouldn’t be!” Thea mocked, raising her arms in the air, Kaesa laughed but also shook her head as disapproval.

“Jedi shouldn’t be selfish or cruel, you’re neither of these things.”

“I killed that hunter, mercilessly and I’m slave to vanity and ambition.”

“You were defending yourself, and me.”

“I shot the guy in the head, Kaesa, and you know enough now to understand I could have shot him anywhere else but in the middle of his eyes.” Thea mumbled, staring Kaesa deeply. “I used my focus to kill him. That’s what makes me so different from you. You chose to duel him, to keep him astray and delay his attack up to a point where he would grow tired. I chose to kill.”

“You didn’t enjoy it, though.” Kaesa announced, but Thea knew that fact didn’t change anything, despite the young Jedi’s intents.

“Not every killer enjoys killing. Ask your soldiers, your generals and you will see how many of them enjoyed burning worlds. But that doesn’t make them any less killers just because they can’t sleep at night.”

“Who trained you?”

Thea knew why Kaesa asked that. She’d probably heard something like that sentence before and Thea also knew she should not tell her the truth. Not this time.

“No one that was important enough.”

“Worst liar in the galaxy.” Kaesa mocked but the smuggler knew better than to bite that bait. Her master’s identity was something she kept to herself, and the only promise she made to the Order that she was willing to keep. It was pointless to dwell in bad memories.

She stood up and checked her pistols, to ensure they were locked and perfectly placed at her sides. She then shook her head, forcing her wavy and short hair to move and stay away from her eyes. She offered Kaesa a mischievous smile, trying her best to return to “old, fun smuggler” instead of “gloomy ex-Jedi”.

“You should definitely return to Tython, kid.”

“Why do you say that?”

Thea sighed, knowing she wouldn’t be able to return to her old sassy mood as long as that Jedi was on board. There was something forcing her to repeat, incessantly, her old teachings, the ones she did not find completely useless.

“You came to Ziost out of spite, searching for something you clearly don’t understand, risking yourself and others in the process. The Force has better plans for you, kid, and it works the way it wants to work. Rushing the natural course of things, or even forcing these events to happen at all, it’s just dangerous and not very selfless.” Thea explained and Kaesa lowered her head, for the first time ashamed. “And what I mean is, maybe you shouldn’t be looking for your sister. Nothing good could come out of meeting her. Your place is on Tython, with your fellow Jedi, struggling to find a final master for yourself.”

The entire vessel seemed to be swallowed by the void where they stood in the galaxy. Thea felt slightly dizzy, as she always did whenever her abilities would strike her as they had done at that moment. Untrained, she was a beacon of Force focus and telekinesis unleashed and unpredictable, though quite capable. And sometimes she would feel things that she couldn’t explain, but she could use to her own advantage and she always had.

Kaesa stared into her eyes, blatantly and almost unfocused. She suddenly seemed no longer as a child, but as the full knight she was to become. She stood up, slowly and faced Thea. There was no anger, but an eagerness surrounding the Jedi, something as Thea hadn’t seen or felt before.

“How could you possibly know it is a girl?” Kaesa asked, softly. “I didn’t know that.”

Thea sighed, looking around the ship, searching for something that couldn’t possibly be physically there.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”


	2. TWO

“Thea’laren, you’re unfocused again!”

Her master’s voice echoed through the chamber, one of many the Temple on Tython had. Thea turned around, holding her lightsaber, the blue blade humming near her. A small mark where the training droid hit her burned on her shoulder; it wasn’t even a real blast shot, but still hurt as hell.

“I’m sorry, master.”

The shame she felt was real, and it would be one of the last times she felt ashamed for anything she did.

“I sense your distress, child, but you need to remain calm and peaceful at all times.”

“She may not be ready for her saber yet, Satele.” Syo Bakarn said, watching carefully their training from the side of the room. Thea hated how he would look at her as if she was about to turn to the dark side, merely because she was fierce sometimes.

Satele Shan offered him a chiding gaze, as if telling her fellow Jedi he shouldn’t discourage her Padawan when Thea was standing right in front of them. Thea, at least, hoped that was what her master meant.

They had been together for almost five years now and Thea had blossomed as a fine Jedi, although a bit lazy or too eager to find easy escapes out of her duties. But she thrived at Satele’s side, and her master soon realised that as well.

But not everyone agreed with Satele’s eagerness to push Thea forward in the ranks. Or to give her a lightsaber before knighting her. They claimed Thea’laren lacked discipline and commitment, she was eager to show off and had a great pleasure disregarding the Jedi Code. Most of these comments were expressed directly at her, trying to help her, to shape her, and she would often hear them respectfully. But then she started to grow tired of being reprimanded and repressed, and eventually she would ignore any comment that did not come directly from her master.

Other concerns would be said within the Council Room, and Thea never heard of them, or at least, not until after she left. Some of the masters claimed she had a hunger for power and fame that was dangerous, others believed she was too susceptible to be corrupted by the Sith. Satele disregarded all of this, chiding the Council for fearing a child. They disapproved Thea’s training, but never asked Satele to stop it. She was right, after all, despite everything, Thea was still a child.

“She is skilled enough to wield it.” Satele replied, gesturing to Thea, so the girl would return to her initial position. Satele set the droids again, four this time, and ignited the saber she was holding. A green blade emerged, unlike the blue double-bladed saber she normally wielded it. “Are you ready, Thea?”

“Yes, I am, master” Thea said, fiercely, and trying to focus on the four training droids and her master. Five different enemies.  _ I can do this _ , she thought,  _ I hope _ .

“A lightsaber is a powerful weapon, Satele, and only knights should wield it.” Syo replied, stoically as usual. Satele shook her head in disapproval. “Thea’laren requires much training on the insights of the Force before she could be even  _ thinking _ of holding this weapon.”

“She knows and understands the Code, Syo.” Satele said, starting her attacks.

The droids shot, at the same time, and Thea moved gracefully, dodging their laser blasts as if dancing. They kept shooting at her, and she kept dodging, sometimes redirecting one of the blasts and she quickly noticed their patterns for shooting.

“And she also disregards much of what the Code says.” Syo said, with a distasteful expression. He clearly disapproved of all that.

“Thea’laren is devoted to the Order and always has been.”

“Devotion is almost as bad as obsession in itself, Satele. She is not ready and you know this.”

“Enough!” Satele said, but it was too late. When she turned to check on Thea, the young Jedi was already gone. The lightsaber laid on the floor, still ignited. The droids searching for their targeting. Satele fulminated her Jedi colleague with disapproval on her eyes. Syo Bakarn blushed a bit, ashamed.

“We could have had this conversation elsewhere, away from her ears but you insisted on making her listen, didn't you?”

“This only proves our point that she is not ready.”

“Once again that is not your decision!”

“I know and this is why I'm asking you to reconsider, Satele, before it is too late.” Syon said, gloomy. “Thea’laren is young and impetuous, and that alone should be your red flag.”

“She is but a child, Bakarn, of course she is impetuous.”

“Her passions are far too intrinsic, Satele. One day we might regret allowing her too many liberties.”

“She is a child, and I will not treat her as if she was a Sith apprentice.” Satele said, abruptly. “Shame on you, on all of you, for fearing a kid.  _ That _ is the way to the dark side.”

WIthout waiting for a response, Satele claimed Thea’s lightsaber on the floor, turning it off and marched off the room, leaving the other master completely embarrassed.

  
  
  


* * *

 

 

Eventually, Master Satele found Thea’laren on her hiding spot under a tall statue on the Temple’s garden. It has been her safe haven since Satele had known her. And that place always had a lot of Thea’s favourite things: junk food, holozines, trinkets from worlds she visited with Satele.

And the girl herself was sitting amongst her things, that were often called trash by the other masters. Satele had been having a daily headache ever since Thea became her Padawan, but she was fiery and dedicated, and had a unique way of seeing things that Satele learned to admire.  Thea was strong-headed, stubborn to a point of annoying every Master of the Council. She would often pretend to forget about the Jedi Code when asked about it, or she would whisper comments that intrigued the Council. They would often get worried and very insistently ask Satele to be careful with Thea’s training, but Satele knew that Thea was just a playful liar.

She was anything but harmful. There was no evil within her soul.

“Aren't you a little tall to keep on hiding here?” Satele asked, cheerfully, but her Padawan seemed sad and tired.

“I guess, but if I don't fit in here, neither does the masters.”

Satele sighed and sat by the entrance of the hideout. Sunlight softly bathed Thea's face, her light grey eyes had a glitter almost inhumane. She was getting taller each month, but she had been losing weight.

“I understand that you feel oppressed when you are confronted like that, but you can't keep on running away from conflict to avoid it.” Satele said and Thea frowned. “Conflict is a natural way to evolve.”

“There's a difference between conflict and oppression, master.” Thea replied angrily, but took a deep breath before continuing her speech. “What they're doing… I… never mind. This is pointless.”

“Talk to me, Thea’laren, speak your mind.” Satele mumbled softly, but Thea's eyes were filled with anger and uneasiness. “You often openly disagrees with every Jedi that has ever doubted you, or questioned your behaviour. Do the same with me.”

“You're my master.”

“Another reason for you to speak your mind freely.” Satele smiled at Thea, who still seemed very uncomfortable with that conversation. “As your master is my responsibility to ensure you are alright.”

“And I like you, master.”

“And I like you as well, so there's another reason for you to trust me.” Satele rested her hand upon Thea's shoulder. The girl seemed to relax a bit. “However, you need to be honest with me.”

“That's not my thing, according to the Council.”

“Thea'laren!” Satele chastised Thea's tone, but she simply sighed in return.

“Fine, fine… All this pressure… I am not ready, master.”

Satele stared into Thea's eyes and there it was, that spark of lie she knew too well. An ordinary person would never know Thea was lying, but as Jedi, Satele could see this sort of thing. Thea blew all of the air in her lungs and faced her master, more confidently this time.

“I don't believe I should be a Jedi.”

 

 

* * *

  
  


The Council wasn't entirely there, but the amount of faces, solemnly staring at Thea should be more than enough to scare her and make her reconsider. But she didn't, in the end. All it took was a smart comment and she unleashed her fury and frustration on that hopeless cult.

“You understand you have nowhere to go, right?” Jaric Kaedan said, with his disdainful tone and Thea snorted, making him frown which happened to be one of the happiest moments of her life. “Your life has always been with the Order.”

“I am aware of that, masters.”

“What would you do?”

“I will find honest work, and live. And travel, unbound by rules of the Jedi.”

“She is too well-trained, Satele, we're basically giving the Sith a new acolyte!”

“Syo has a point.” Master Kiwiiks said, calmly and Thea rolled her eyes and this time she didn't even tried to hide it. “Thea’laren has always been brash and impetuous. Her passions were never untamed.”

“We're letting her go only to face her, eventually, as Sith or worse.” Syo continued, but Satele raised her hand.

“We are here to listen, not to judge.”

“There is nothing to listen, Satele. She is untamed and stubborn, and she wishes to leave the Order to pursue her passions. Her head is filled with pantomimes that could only harm her.” Master Kaedan exclaimed. “We cannot allow her to leave. She is a Padawan, and powerful. Think of the damage and…”

“You don't get to make this decision for me!” Thea yelled and the five masters stared at her as if they had seen her for the first time. Her breathing was fast, shaky. Her hands could barely stay still without making her jumpy. “You will never make a decision for me again. I don't trust you or your Order. Your code is flawed, you can't just apply those teachings to every situation and expect it to work. But you've learned this the hard way, haven't you?”

“You don't--”

“Look at Coruscant! Look at what your precious code did to the Republic Capital. The Sith outsmarted your kindness, your peace is a fraud!” Thea shouted, raging. “Thousands of people died and you lost the war, because you were all afraid of emotions! Stars, you still are!”

“You don't understand what you're saying, child!” Syo Bakarn replied, sternly, but Thea didn't run away. Not this time.

“I know enough!” She lowered her voice and stared into every single face aimed at her. All those wise, peaceful eyes lying to themselves, worst of all, filled with emotions they denied. It never made much sense to her. Why preach immunity to something that couldn't be destroyed or barely ignored? The took a deep breathe. “I don't believe in your Code. I don't think my emotions make me vulnerable or that attachments make me weak. I don't trust any of you, because you tell me I should be serene, but I can see the outrage in your eyes, when I say your code is flawed. I see your anger and your frustration, and I see resentment and contempt. I see your sadness and disappointment” she said, while facing her own master and Satele nodded, carefully and calmly, and filled with sadness but not disappointment. That gave Thea the strength to go on. “and I don't trust you. Because how can you ask me to let go of everything that makes me who I am, when none of you can do the same?”

“Thea’laren has a very, very valid point.” Master Orgus Din finally said something, which made Thea relieved. He was a fine Knight, wise and unorthodox and she knew he would be prone to support her, if there was anything to support at all. “Our code isn't flawless. And we have judged her based on things that can't be judged commonly.”

“The Jedi path is about the struggle, the journey, the effort to achieve something unachievable. It has only returned me pain.” Thea said, trying to stay calm and not yell at those serene, stoic faces that stared at her with contempt and pity. They think they know it all, she thought, bitterly. “Even you think I’m not supposed to be a Jedi.”

“We think you’re not ready to be given so many responsibilities yet, such as a lightsaber, for instance.” Syo Bakarn replied, and Thea rolled her eyes, and she knew he was annoyed by that simple gesture. “You lack discipline and don’t respect hierarchy. You never have.”

“She certainly tried.” Master Orgus said, almost cheerfully.

“But trying isn’t enough, Orgus, and Thea’laren is too imature and unfocused. She’s always been like that. However, with time--”

“Time won’t change who she is, regardless of how you all feel, this is who she is and we can’t keep her here hoping she will become a disciplined and respectful Jedi, that obey every order, because she is correct.” Satele said, and Thea’s respect for her grew, despite everything. “The Jedi path is about the struggle, and we all have chosen to follow the Code, even if we sometimes become astray. It is in the nature of being sentient, to make mistakes and acknowledge that.”

“She is too powerful and well-trained, Satele! We can’t--” Master Kaedan said, but Satele interrupted him, very calmly.

“Forcing her to stay is not the Jedi way. Thea’laren can leave, it’s her choice, it always has been.”

The arguments ended there. Satele stood in front of Thea, and the sadness in her master’s eyes almost made the girl reconsider. But in the end, she knew she couldn’t; there was no place for her amongst the Order. She cut off her Padawan braid, a long piece of bright red hair and handed it to Satele.

Then she gave away her lightsaber, hardly used, and turned around, leaving as the masters stared at her, measuring the threat they might have unleashed on the galaxy.


	3. THREE

“Kaesa, we need to split up! Now!”

Thea yelled at the young Jedi, shooting everything at random behind them, probably hitting nothing because they were running like hell. Their ship crashed at very random and deserted planet, so far all they had seen was trees and arid areas, and no wildlife or sentient life to be found, save for the Sith that shot them down. The ship on its own hadn’t been hit hard, but Thea knew she couldn’t fly before being blown up by the Sith ship shooting at them, so her plan was to leave the ship and drawn the fire to themselves.

They went behind a large tree trunk that had fallen on their way and took a minute to take a breath.

“How did you know I had a sister?” Kaesa whispered and Thea rolled her eyes, before checking the path behind them. She could sense them and hear them, but they weren’t nowhere to be seen.

“Not now, kid. We have a bigger issue to deal with.”

“ _ This _ is a big issue, Thea. You knew about my sister, didn’t you?”

Thea covered Kaesa mouse and stopped moving for a second, before whispering urgently.

“I didn’t know about your sister, I don’t know if she is a sister!” She said, checking the path behind them again. They were closer, three of them. “My training was never complete, that means I sense stuff and I do stuff, but I don’t always control it. Which means--”

“-- you can’t be certain of anything.” Kaesa completed her sentenced, her voice muffled because Thea’s hand was still on her mouth. She took it away and Kaesa sighed. “I understand. We… We need to ask for help.”

“Really? What tipped you off?”

“If these are Sith, I can’t defeat them on my own and you can’t defeat them with a blaster.” Kaesa explained, checking for her holocommunicator. “We need to contact the Order.”

“Nope. No way. You jeopardised their precious peace, we don’t know if we are in Republic or Neutral space. I can’t tell where we are and they can’t come to our rescue.” Thea said and they started running again, this time more quietly, and with less shooting. Three Sith was too much. And that was just a wild guess. “We need to leave this rock, and reach a Republic friendly planet. With a huge flagship on its orbit, preferably.”

“The ship is undamaged, and they are after us.”

“They’re probably counting on killing us, so there’s a chance there’s only three of them and the ship is unguarded.” Thea understood her thoughts, but the idea wasn’t pleasant. There was still a slight chance that everything was a trap, but she couldn’t think of anything better. “Fine, let’s go. We won’t know if you’re right if we keep on running randomly.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They split up before returning to the ship and guaranteeing that they misled their pursuers. It wasn’t easy, but they managed. Thea sent Kaesa back to the ship and forced them to follow her but using all of her training to glow through the Force and draw their attention. That was really hard, because Kaesa was so powerful Thea feared the plan wouldn’t work, but eventually she could sense and hear the three figures after her.

When she lost them, she turned back and ran like never before to the ship. The clearing where it landed was so open and vulnerable it was almost ridiculous. The ramp was open and she was headed that direction, almost inside the ship, when Kaesa came, flying, straight up into her, and they both fell down on the cold, arid ground.

“What the hell!” Thea cried, pulling Kaesa away from her. The Padawan moaned a bit and coughed the sand away from her mouth, rising on her feet once again and helping Thea stand up too.

“Sith--” Kaesa started saying, but suddenly she was thirty centimeters up from the floor, holding her own throat as if she was choking.  _ Because she was choking.  _ A Sith came off the ship, lightsaber in hand, red as blood. Her outfit was black and red, a chestplate probably made of durasteel and the rest was pure cloth, a good indication of how good she thought she was as a warrior. Golden eyes stared at Thea and there was this fury and contempt in them that she had never seen before and her silver hair had this goldish glow because of the sunlight, it almost felt as if they had molten the metal itself to dye it. She was angry, her face was a clear painting of her feeling and the power coming off her was too much, even Thea could sense effortlessly.

“No armour needed, eh? You must be one of those show-offs from the Empire.” Thea mocked, but she was worried. A blaster versus a lightsaber was a lost battle; against a Jedi she might have had a chance, but Sith were aggressive, and she had nothing to counterattack.

“I’m not here for you, scum.” Her voice was surprisingly calm, and melodic. She was still choking Kaesa, and Thea knew she had to think fast. Staring at the Sith face, she realised the other woman was young, younger than Kaesa even. They had a similar nose, but that’s all they had in common.  _ Oh, _ Thea thought,  _ this is why I sensed the sibling gender. _

“Funny, you should be here for me.” She said, aiming the blaster at the Sith. The other woman barely spared her the glance.  _ Bite the bait,  _ Thea thought, almost desperately,  _ please, bite the bait! _

She shot, but the Sith was fast, and deflected the blaster shot with her red lightsaber. Thea moved fast to avoid being hit.

“Fine, I’ll kill you first!”

Before the Sith could strike at her, a green lightsaber clashed against the red one, seconds away of avoiding an immediate death. Kaesa had recomposed herself and now she had that somber and stoic face of focused Jedi. She didn’t look like a Padawan anymore.

“We need to leave, Kaesa!” Thea yelled, noticing three figures approaching. She could see them now, properly: two Imperial troopers and a force-wielding, probably an assassin. No way they could deal with that, not when all Thea had was a blaster and Padawan. “There’s more of them!”

Thea found cover behind a small crater on the ground, and shot accurately at the Troopers. They barely had a chance, but the Assassin was something else. Kaesa was busy with the Sith, whom despite being strong, was taking a hard time beating the Jedi now.

The Assassin was probably a man, tall and strong, and Thea had a rough time dodging the lightsaber swings over her. Probably taking her as a non-Force user, this enraged him enough that she could sense him being unbalanced.

“Oh, I thought you Sith were faster than this.” She mocked, although she wasn’t feeling funny at all. Her strategy, however, worked and the Assassin became angrier and thus, his movements were more sloppy. Thea shot at him, knowing it would never work, but when he deflected the blaster shots, one of them scratched Thea’s arm, and the opening she was waiting happening.

Thea felt she got lucky, but when she ran straight the Assassin, he was startled, probably because no one other than Sith and Jedi had marched at him that way. The seconds of surprise were enough so Thea could close in on him, and hold the wrist wielding the saber, and hit his nose with her own head. Feeling dizzy, she twisted his wrist when he tried to push her away, turning his body around, and the pushing his head down, holding his neck. The lightsaber flown away; Thea kicked the Assassin's back and when he tried to move, and without a second thought, she used all of her strength and will to twist his neck.

An unpleasant sound, the Assassin stopped moving and she left him on the floor, rising slowly, and checking in on Kaesa.

The battle was pretty much lost. Kaesa was on the floor, crawling to reach her own lightsaber and the Sith approached her, slowly, almost as if hunting. She had a gracious way to move, but nothing on her would ever show you of such grace. A fierce look on her face could scare anyone smart enough, but she was too young and Thea knew she was too raw. Probably recently left the Sith Academy, her wielding of the lightsaber was a bit shaky.

“Father told me you were unmatching, this… is very disappointing.” The Sith said, carefully, savoring her premature victory. “But perhaps this is what being a Jedi does to one so strong in the Force.”

“You came all the way here, just to kill me?” Kaesa mumbled, staring into her sister’s eyes. Gold met blue and Thea felt weird; the Force was clashing between them, she could sense it clearly and  _ that _ was a bad sign. “Was this really worth your trouble?”

“ _ You’re  _ the one who infiltrated Ziost, you came after me.”

“I wanted to know if you were real, all I’ve ever heard of were rumours.” KAesa mumbled, coughing a bit.

Thea stared at her lightsaber on the floor and the Assassin lightsaber that she took. She just wanted to leave that blasted planet and go back to her simple, not-very-deadly life. But the galaxy wasn’t simple.

The Sith seemed to be ignoring her, deeming her unworthy or unchallenging, which offended her.

“Now, you see me.” The Sith said, carefully, reading her saber to strike. “And I’ll kill you. My master will be very pleased, and so will Father. My claim will be uncontested.”

Before the Sith’s lightsaber could reach the Padawan’s back, Thea intervened. It happened so fast she didn’t have time to think it through, and even if she did had the time, thinking about what she did would only cause her to never, ever do something like that.

She ignited the Assassin's lightsaber, a purple blade glowing, and parried the Sith. She was truly strong, but Thea knew her weapon and herself was the only thing between Kaesa and death.

“You’re a Jedi too!” The Sith shouted, furiously applying more strength while pushing Thea down. She held on as much as she could, and focused her mind on the Jedi’s saber, a few inches away from them. She didn’t even know she could pull that off, but it was worth trying. Closing her eyes while parrying a Sith, Thea thought about how insane that whole situation was.

She felt the pull of the Force, something twirling her stomach, her mind getting dizzy. It was different from using it to just aim; this time, she was trying to express the Force through something more physical, more mystical.

The lightsaber shook a bit and then, it flied straight at the Sith, igniting itself at the last moment. The woman, startled, broke the parry and retreated, giving Thea time to recompose herself. Now with Sith gave her enough insight to avoid getting hurt by the blade, and her vibrosaber training was enough to help her duel, but she didn’t know how to proficiently battle two blades at once. And Kaesa seemed powerless, still on the floor, almost passing out.

“No, I am no Jedi.”

Their sabers clashed again, as the Sith screamed; every hit was a vibration and the second saber, now wielded by that powerful and cruel Sith, was an extra problem. She tried to recall her training, but words of peace and quiet were never of any help to her. Then, holding off another swing from the Sith, Thea took a deep breath.  _ I left the Order because calmness and serenity weren’t the fuel to my life _ , she thought and find balance with her own thoughts, she turned around and striked the Sith.

She almost didn’t stop the attack, and that slight miscalculation helped Thea disarm the red lightsaber in a bold, yet strong move. The Sith’s glove was smoky and she was obviously in pain, but Thea ignored that and marched at her, angrily.

Jumping at her, the Sith used the Force to push her away and threw the green saber against Thea, whom threw it away with another move of her own lightsaber. Raising her hands, the Sith engulfed Thea with Force and she started to feel the invisible hands around her neck. Her feet was lifting the ground, the air could barely go inside her.

“You have the guts, scum, but you still don’t have enough power to defeat me.” The Sith, said, victoriously, claiming the green saber with Force and approaching Thea slowly. “No Jedi have.”

Gathering every bit of her own will, Thea focused all of her Jedi training on her hands and pushed the Sith away. The air immediately filled her lungs, and she claimed her lightsaber again. She used the same movement to try and immobilize the Sith on the floor, but the girl was much faster and strong than the Assassin. She hit Thea, and stopped her movements before being touched, and Thea used the Force again, this time launching the Sith far away.

“I told you, kid, I am no Jedi.”

When she rose to her feet, a large ship flew by, and the Sith, recognising foreign vessel, claimed the green lightsaber and disappeared in the wilds.

  
  


* * *

 

 

“You have got to be kidding me.”

The large ship landed nearby and stamped on its side, now that Thea and Kaesa approached it, there was a big, blue sign, that the smuggler immediately recognised as the Republic Insignia.

Worst of all, she recognised the figure walking down the ship's ramp and she wished she could disappear with a snap of her fingers.

“Thea’laren… This is… surprising.” Master Satele Shan voice sounded older and wiser and yet with that same cheerfulness of a clueless person .

“Master Satele, thank you for coming.” Kaesa said, bowing before the Jedi Grand Master. Thea glanced at Kaesa, raising an eyebrow.

“ _ You called the Republic.” _

“No, I called on a frequency known to Jedi. The closest one came to our aid.” Kaesa explained, gesturing at Master Satele. Thea rolled her eyes.

“I explicitly told you not to call for help.” She said.

“You, of all people, should know even Jedi are prone to disobey direct orders, Thea’laren.” Master Satele said, cheerfully and Thea shook her head.

“You travelled half the galaxy to give me a lecture?”

“I came, as Padawan Kaesa told you, to rescue you. Apparently, however, that wasn’t necessary.” The Jedi Grand Master explained, checking in on the Republic troopers patrolling the perimeter, but everyone knew that wasn’t necessary. The Sith would have been long gone. “You seem to have learn a few tricks, Thea; I’m glad the training you received while on the Order helped you.”

“I would love to check on the Order’s faces when they realise the early training actually helped me save my life. And Kaesa’s.” Thea mocked and Kaesa stared at her, looking tired but well. A huge bruise became purple on her left cheek, and few scratches everywhere, but overall she seemed alright. And surprised.

“Wait, so you lied?” Kaesa exclaimed, making Thea laugh. “You  _ had _ a lightsaber.”

“I actually trained with a lightsaber, but not for long.”

“You see, master Satele, she had a lightsaber!”

“That doesn’t excuse the fact you  _ stole _ a lightsaber, Kaesa. Padawans can’t have such a powerful weapon.” Satele said, strictly; Thea stared at Kaesa, very impressed with that Jedi behaviour. That explained why she was so fond of the girl.

“I can’t believe the Order still has such rules.” Thea said and Satele offered her a look that made her shiver. “Kaesa is clearly a fine warrior. Why keep her away from a lightsaber?”

“She is not ready.”

“You thought I was ready, and I was far younger. She’s almost a Knight.” Thea argued, but Satele raised her hand peacefully, and Thea knew it was pointless to discuss.

“Those were differents times and you  _ weren’t  _ ready. I see that now, I lacked wisdom.”

“Wait, wait a minute… Master Satele was your master?” Kaesa asked abruptly and Thea laughed at her shock. Satele grinned at the Padawan. “I can’t believe it!”

“I really don’t wanna talk about it,, kid. Just… Just give me my ship, Jedi.”

Satele offered Thea one more glance, before asking to the closest Trooper to unsealed the ship they rescued.

 

* * *

 

 

“You’re a smuggler now.” Satele said, entering Thea’s ship. She was checking on the controls and measuring the damage done her most precious possession. Not much, enough to just make her angry because it would cost a lot to make the ship look nice and polished again.

Hearing her master brought her a sense of nostalgia she didn’t welcome at all.

“Yes, are you here to bring me to justice?” She said, bitterly.

“You said you were going to find work, when you left. You wanted to live, see the galaxy.”

“This is me working and seeing the galaxy. I do a lot of good things in this position.” Thea replied, trying to avoid Satele’s gaze which was hard because the Jedi Grand Master was quite an imposing presence, through the Force and physically as well.

“Not honest, though.”

“But good things. Do you think refugees care if I’m breaking the law to deliver food and resources to them? Do you think the resistances everywhere care if I’m illegally breaking an Imperial blockade to aid them?” Thea’s voice had a shaky tone to it. “Of course they don’t. Because they’re dying and survival is something we take very seriously, regardless of our species.”

“That does not excuse your behaviour, Thea’laren. You know that, right?”

“Then arrest me!” Thea marched straight up to her master, to face her up close. She didn’t even think she had the guts to do so. “Bring me to the Republic and lock me up with your war prisoners, the general scum! You are no better than the Empire; this sense of entitlement is what makes the Republic horrible. People die and starve and live in Coruscant’s underworld, while politicians thrive through corruption and greed. The Order lies dormant, as if a pet to those in charge. The Senate is obsolete, and your annoyance glowing through the Force tells me you agree with me, but you are powerless!”

Satele took a deep breath and Thea feared actually getting arrested. But the Jedi Master merely nodded and walked out of the ship. _That was way too easy_ , Thea thought. She wasn't used to things being easy.

Thea stared at her, as she went down the ramp, wind blowing her own hair and her master’s as well. Satele looked back, a bit sad, but never disappointed.

“You still are in tune with the Force. We could use someone with your talents in the Order; our numbers are…  terribly low these days.” Satele said, but Thea shook her head. “You can go back, you know. Complete your training.”

“I’m too old for this, master. Lots of attachments. Lots of feelings.”

“We have been making exceptions lately, considering that everyone with Force sensibility is prone to become an enemy or an ally, depending on who reaches them first.” Satele explained and Thea scoffed.

“Of course, you’d rather take low-sensitivity Force users than allow the Empire to have them.”

“They turn everything into a weapon; I’m offering you a position where you are the wielder of your own abilities.”

“Sorry! As much as I am delighted with the idea of eating healthy food and meditating on a temple of passionless beings, I stand by my word.” Thea said, and Satele smiled back at her. “I am no Jedi.”

“Very well.” The Jedi Master said, walking away as Thea went back inside her ship. “May the Force be with you, Thea’laren.”

“As with you,  _ master. _ ”

The smuggler turned on the ship’s engine, and checking the console for fuel and damage data once more, she took flight and disappeared amongst the stars.


	4. ABOUT THE CHARACTERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a small bio on the characters featuring this short story, since I avoided spending too much time explaining every detail of their life on this story.

> **THEA'LAREN THEIRIN**
> 
> [ _smuggler_ ]
> 
> Although she goes by Thea, Thea'laren Theirin has been know by multiple aliases, a characteristic that follows her job as a smuggler. Witty, sarcastic and always ready for a good fight and craving excitement, she's seen a lot and still hasn't seen enough. She despises the Empire, thinks the Sith are futile and that the Jedi Order is stagnant. As a smuggler, she helps resistances fighting the Empire and refugees, and she's been doing that since she left the Jedi Order. As a former Padawan, she strongly disagreed with the Order's Code and general point of view, seeing herself as much more pragmatic and active than the Jedi and their ideals. She is a Force user, although she avoids it when possible, and denies it when she can't control her urge to allow the Force to act.
> 
>  
> 
> **KAESA DA'KLAR**
> 
> [ _jedi consular_ ]
> 
> Heir of Sith lords, Kaesa lived unaware of her past for many years, thriving as prodigy in the Jedi Order. At very young age, she became Padawan and since then, she scared many masters with her raw power; she her last master died, Kaesa felt ready to do her trials, but the Order disagreed. However her knowledge of her brutal past affected her, she rose above it and became a fine Knight. Her last master was Yuon Parr, and she became a crucial asset to the war effort during the Cold War. Intelligent, kind and far too wise for her age, Kaesa was a glowing figure to everyone who's ever met her. She was the Force's guide, and the Jedi Order's finest.
> 
>  
> 
> **ANDRAS'TE DA'KLAR**
> 
> [  _sith warrior_ ]
> 
> Born and raised by her father, the only survivor of the Jedi raid that took away Kaesa and killed their mother, Andras'te was shaped into becoming Sith. Kaesa was remarkably gifted, but Andra'ste compensated her own power by working hard to achieve what she lacked. Eventually, she became powerful enough that she attracted the attention of an Overseer in the Sith Academy in Korriban. There, she became and acolyte and overcame the others, growing powerful and still power-hungry. She then became the Apprentice to Darth Baras, and her rage took the shape of a weapon, balancing her a bit and making her less prone to foolish intrigues as many others Sith did. Ruthless but intelligent, Andras'te was an strategist who only sought to empower the Empire, believing faithfully that the Sith could thrive if not too busy fighting each other.
> 
>  
> 
>  

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed it, comment what you liked or what I could improve! Thank you! :3


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